Torpedo-guard for ships.



- mwmm R. J. SHlELDS.

TORPEDO GUARD FOR SHIPS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1a. 1913.

Patented July 2, 1918.;

ii ti ROBERT JOHN SHIELDS, 0F HOBGOOD, NORTH CAROLINA.

'ronrnno-suann FOR sHirs.

l speeji fication of Iletters Patent, Patented J 2, 1918,.

Application filed a rn 13, 1918, Serial No. 228,397.

Tocll wkoiim't may concern."

Be it known that I, Roenn'r JOHN SHIELDS, a c1t1Zen of the Unlted States, residing at Hobgood, in the county of Halifax and State of North Carolina, haveinvented certain new and usefulv Improvements in Torpedo-Guards for Ships; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

' The object of my invention isto provide a novel form of torpedo-guard; for ships,

' which shall beof extreme simplicity in construction and of great efliciency in use.

A' further ob ect of my nvention is to )rovide a construction of tor edo- 'uard v P a:

which, in addition to its primary function of guarding ships from torpedo attack, will be capable ofperforming the function of assisting in propelling the vessel.

Subsidiary objects, relating to specific improvements, will appear vas the specification proceeds and the nature of the invention more fully appears. f

The invention is graphically illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several. views, which latter may be briefly described as follows: Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the side of a ship, showing my torpedoguard and operating means therefor in operative relation thereto, the bearings being shown in section; y Fig. 2- is a sectional view along the line 2--2, Fig. 1, looking-in the direction of the arrows; and a v Fig. 3 is a similar view showingaslightly modified form of supporting means for torpedo-guards. v Referring, now, in detail to'the drawing and, first, to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof: M y, The basic idea of my invention is the utilization of torpedo-guards of a shape resembling a screw propeller, or Archimedean screw, 71. a, a member comprising a shaft 1 carrying a sinuous or undulating orhelical vane 2 extending longitudinally thereof. My invention contemplates employing either one or two, or a plurality, of such guards, at each side of the vessel. As an illustration, I have shown in the drawing two of such guards disposed in axial alinement, or

end to end, though it is ob ieus, of course, that, instead of two guards disposed in this relation, one guard of a length equal tothe two shown, or of the desired length, may be employed. It is desirable to use at least two guards disposed end to end, at each side of the vessel, since, if one'is injured, it may be removed and a new vone installed, with out disturbing the other;

' Suitable means for rotatably supporting theguards are necessarily provided, and in the drawing I have shown my preferred form thereof, which I will now describe. At adjacent ends, the guard-shafts 1, 1 are rotatably supported in a bearing 3, common to both shafts,,carried by a bracket 1 suitably, secured tothe exterior face of the side 5 of the vessel. Each shaft 1, at its opposite end, rotatably s'upported in a bearing 6,' formi ng part of a water-tight and dust-proof box 7 bolted, as at 8, orotherwise. suitably secured,'to a bracket 9 attachedto the side 5 of the ship. Each shaft 1 carries, fast thereon, collars, 10, 10 abutting the outer ends of the bearings and 6 and maintaining the shaft against movement in the direction of the length thereof.

Each shaft 1 carries, at its outer end, a

beveled gear 11 meshing with a similar gear 12 on a counter-shaft 13 supported in bearings'in said'braeket 9 and also in a tubular bearing 14L. The bearing 14; projects through thel'side 5 of the ship, and is preferably provided with a flange 15 bearing against the exterior face of the side 5 of the ship, as shown. 7 Threaded into the end of said bearing-14 isa 15compressing the packing in said bearing around the shaft 13. That end of said shaft 13 which is inside the ship carries a bevel gear 16 'meshing with a largeror "multiplying gear 17 carried on theend "ofja shaft 18, rotatably supported invbearings 19, 19 in a casting or'bracket 20 secured to the inner face of the side 5 of the ship. The opposite end of the shaft ls carries a gear 21, which may be driven from any suitable source of power.

It will be understood that there may be a plurality of series of these guards, one se-' ries placed beneath the other and extending from approximately the water line of the vessel to the desired depth beneath the water line; though the vane 2 of a single line of guards may be of dimensions sufiicient to afiord the desired protection.

In operation, it'will be obvious that the rotating torpedwguarde will intercept a till torpedo fired at the ship, and the helical vanes will tend to deflect and throw the end ofthe'tubular bracket which is adapted to 'abutthe side ,of the ship is sheared off at an angle to thediametric line "(if said bracket, as clearly shown. 'Projectingaxially through said tubular bracket 9 is'the shaft 13 carrying, at one'en'd, thepinion I6 meshing with the driving fgear 17? on the shaft 18 carried by the bracket 20 The shaft 13 rotates in abearing 'l t 'provided with a screw-follower 15, to compress the packing therein. This tribulafbearing 14 is jprovided with aalange 15 bearing against the exterior face of'the side5 of'th e ship. The lower end of the shaft 13 carries a beveled gear 12 meshing with 'the beveled gear 11 on the shaft 1 carrying "the "torpedoguardfl "(which is ithe same as the torpedo-guard of the 'precedingffigures). Secured to the lower end oftheib'ra'cket 9 asbyfasteni'ng means "8*, is the box 7 inclo'sing the gears 11 and 12".

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as newand-desire to se cure by Letters Patent is; 1

1. A torpedo guard for vessels comprising a shaft rotat'ably supported adjacent the side of the vessel, and provided with a helical vane extending longitudinally thereof, said shaft'being journaled inbearings projecting from the side of the vessel andrsaid vane beingslightly removed from said side and itsperipheralportion extending slightly above the water line.

2. Atorpedo guard for vessels comprising two rotatable shafts disposed end to end, and each prov-ided with a helical vane extending longitudinally thereof, and sup porting means, common to both shafts, for rotatably supporting adjacent ends thereof.

3. A torpedo guard for vessels comprising two rotatable shafts disposed end to end,

and each provided with a helical vane extending beside the vessel slightly removed "therefrom and having its peripheral portion above the water line and the major part.

thereof submerged longitudinally thereof,

supporting means, common to both shafts,

-forrotatably supporting the adjacent ends thereof, a gear carried at the opposite end 'of'each-shaft,"a Water-tight box inclosing each of said gears, and means for driving said gears from thelnside of the ship.

4. A'torpedo guard'for vessels co1npr1s- :i'ng *tv'vo rotatable shafts disposed end to end, 'andeach provided'with a helical vane extending beside the vessel slightly removed therefrom andhaving its peripheral portion above the water line and the major part thereof submerged longitudinally thereof, supporting means, common to both shafts,

forrot'atably supporting the adjacent ends thereof, a gear carried at the opposite end of -each shaft, a water-tight box inclosing each of said gears, a bracket carrying each box and adapted to be attached to the side of the ship, and means for driving said gears from the inside of the ship.

"5. "A torpedo guard for vessels comprising two rotatableshafts disposed end to end, and each provided with a helical vane extending beside the vessel slightly removed therefrom and having its peripheral portion abovefthe water line and the major part thereof submerged longitudinally thereof, supporting means, common to both shafts, for rotatably supporting the adjacent ends thereof ,-a gear carried at the opposite end of-each shaft, a water-tight box inolosing each of said :gears, a hollow, water-tight bracket detachably connected with each of said boxes, and means for driving said gears from the inside of the ship, including gears meshing withsaid first-mentioned gears and carried at the ends of shafts projecting through said brackets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT JOHN SHIELDS. Witnesses:

S. D. BRADLEY, LEON G. SHIELDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

